Real 3D Spins Off From Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin announced that it has spun off the Real 3D department as an independent corporation while Lockheed will still retain majority ownership. At the same time, chip-maker Intel announced that it has purchased a 20 percent minority of the newly incorporated division. Exactly how much money was transacted was not disclosed as of yet.

Although Intel owns a sizable portion of the company, it will only retain a nonvoting position on Real 3D's board of directors but will continue to codevelop graphic technologies and upcoming products.

Orlando, Florida-based Real 3D, originally born from the 30 years of flight simulation technologies developed at Lockheed Martin, is currently working with Intel on an integrated 2D/3D graphics chip called the Intel 740 (or the i740) that will be positioned as a solution for mainstream desktop PCs sometime in the first quarter of 1998. The company also has standing agreements with Sega to develop and supply arcade chips. "This agreement extends our technology relationship with Real 3D and Lockheed Martin and further demonstrates our commitment to deliver the world's premier visual computing solutions," said Ron Smith, vice president and general manager for Intel's Computing Enhancement Group. "Our goal is to bring a full range of graphics, video, and imaging capabilities to desktop and mobile computing platforms, and Real 3D plays an integral role in that effort."

"The world of 3D and visual computing is beginning to enter the consciousness of mainstream computer users, and our relationship with Intel gives Real 3D tremendous opportunities to address this marketplace," said Gerald W. Stanley, president of Real 3D. "The equity agreement and technology codevelopment work with Intel is the next logical step for Real 3D and underscores our position as a leading 3D graphics technology provider."

Will this turn the 3D gaming wars into a tailspin as Intel pushes its hand into a new arena by providing 3D on your motherboard? Early reports position the new i740 chipset to be of good quality but not as high performance as chips like 3Dfx's popular Voodoo Graphics chipset. We must wait and see what Intel does next.